New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-05-04

In perplexity could invent. She COM
j planned to- her mother and to- Mr..
Yewburton frequently that her eyes
were. effected. She, saw, or pretended
to see, an oculist in London, and soon
after appeared ii those hideous
/ glasses. Mr.. Yewburton was con-
cerned. He detested them, and never
i omitted an opportunity OF saying so.
+ Soon Mrs. AshburY grief and SYM
/ pathy wrung from Alice the secret;
and after much protesting on one side
and crying on the other, her mother
promised to keep It.
/ So the days passed and Mr.. Yew.
burton grew cooler; he came less often
to the house,; he suggested much less
often that they should walk on the
| parade. among the gay aud the lovely
haunts which he was so proud to ire
quent with her in the hours OF their
early love. And now the probing and
stinging inquiries of Aliee's troubled
heart pressed her to harsher measur-
es. She would try him with severer
test, which came in the form Of per-
petual sore throat and its accom-
panylng ugly band.
This was too much for Mr.. Yewbur-
ton. His manner changed. He no long
ertook any pleasure in her society out
of doors, but still paid regular, though
much less frequent, visits, and APP
parenuly troubled himself much about
Alice's aliments-trouble which Alice
again investigated, and decided to lie
in vanity, and not in love.
So things dragged on for several
weeks; and then there came a change.
Somewhat gradually his former man
ner returned. He came often. He
asked Alice why she never suggested a
| walk on the promenade. Once more
they sought the gay throng, and once
more Alice looked aid miringly into his
handsome face, and wondered if she
could not be happy as his wife.
| She confded her new happiness to
her mother, laughing and crying AL
ernately as she did so. She said she
was afraid she did not love Mr.. Yew-
burton much, but she might learn to.
And then Mrs. Ashbury, tender, COM
passionate, motherly, seeking above
everything her child's happiness, con-
fessed that she had told Mr.. Yewbur-
ton the secret-had told him the
glasses and the ugly band were moth
ing but a fad-perhaps a test.
She said, expostulating:
''Was it not enough, child, to chill
any mans ardor to think you might
60 blind and be permanently out Of
health? Mr. Yewburton is not roman
tic; he is thoughtful, kindly man,
and the future to him is not the i'm
possible region Of a boys dream"
| Then Alice had cried long and bitter
". She had acknowledged the Justice
OF her mothers remarks, and said she
would try to love Mr.. Yewburton if
he wished to hold her to her promise.
When matters had reached this
point-tWo days only after Mrs. Ash
bury's confession-When the mask was
still being worn from the very uncer-
tainty and distraction OF events, I re-
turned suddenly that soft summer
evening like a dreamsof the past into
Alice's troubled life.
[ only learned q few OF the above
particulars on the night of my arrival.
| cannot describe the misery and per
plexity into which I was plunged; how
under Mrs. Ashbury's guidance and
her assistance, played the friend and
waited for the time which
Mrs. Ashbury said was at hand, when
Mr.. Iewburton would resign his prize,
would be glad to dissolve the engage
ment.
Alice, now the secret was out, had
thrown off her disguise. She appeare d
to him beautiful, faultless, priceless,
but oh! had he possessed eyes to see,
how cold and loveless!
On the few occasions when he met
me he exhibited some slight symptoms
OF jealousy, and drew closer, so close,
to the woman be loved, that
l now began to feel myself dis
honorable man. I must go away; he
would never give her up, no, not if
Alice asked him. And what was the
poor child to do? Tell him she did
not love him? She had told him.
"But you have loved me-" he said;
ut IS a fancy; a passing shadow Of
sweet caprice. You will love me again,
and ten times more than before
| must go away; that was plain. I
had been at Westmouth three weeks
and after that first awful conflict /
had not tempted Alice Indeed, Ihad
been surprised at the self-mastery
| which I had shown.
The day for my leaving had arrived;
Alice seemed quiet, emotionless, re-
signed.
The September sun was streaming
through the open window. The violin
was in Al1ce's hand. had asked her
to play something last request.
Eyes, said Mr.. Yewburton, do"
She began to play ''Robin Adair,"
then initiating Mr.. Yewburton, she
broke of, and made the violin wall
out her feelings, which were those OF
intense sorrow. Mr.. Yewburton lis
tened critically, I thought, at first,
but when a few moments had passed,
and looked across at him. he was
wholly absorbed in looking through
the opening between the curtain and
the wall-at q lady by the gate.
No wonder man like Mr.. Yewbur-
ton was looking there Tho lod1, X.